You can provide secure access to your website using traffic encryption. Traffic encryption is available for all Wild Apricot domains (sites that use wildapricot.org). You can make secure access optional, or you can choose to automatically redirect visitors to a secure URL. You can redirect visitors always, or just when filling out Wild Apricot forms. Online payments on Wild Apricot will always be encrypted.

What is traffic encryption?

Traffic encryption, known officially as hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS), is a method of securing the transmission of information to and from a website. It ensures the security of website traffic by encrypting the information being transmitted, and by using security certificates to identify and authenticate the website. This is the same technology used by banks worldwide to secure their online banking sites.

To communicate with a website through a secure, encrypted channel, you use a URL (website address) that begins with https rather than http. Once a secure channel has been established, your browser may display a padlock icon in the address bar or the status bar.

Do I need to use traffic encryption?

If you access the internet over a unsecured Wi-Fi connection, you run the risk of someone intercepting the data you are sending and receiving. This becomes a real security threat if you are an administrator managing a Wild Apricot website. Visitors who submit private information to your website via online forms (e.g. membership applications, event registrations) may also feel more comfortable knowing the traffic is secured.

You might want to encrypt the data to be on the safe side, even though the chances of someone intercepting your personal information are low.

If you're just visiting the site…

Security is probably not an issue for you (unless you are trying to avoid tracking of what you view online).

If you're making a payment on a Wild Apricot site…

Your credit card data and private information is always protected.

Using traffic encryption can also improve the Google ranking of your site. For more information, click here.

How do I get secure access to my site?

For Wild Apricot domains (sites that use wildapricot.org), you simply add an s after the http in your website address (e.g. https://nycs.wildapricot.org instead of http://nycs.wildapricot.org). Do not include www in the URL (e.g. https://nycs.wildapricot.orgnothttps://www.nycs.wildapricot.org). Security certificates (used to identify and authenticate websites) are provided free of charge to all Wild Apricot domains. If you want, you can automatically redirect visitors to your website to the secure URL. For more information, see Traffic encryption options (below).

What if I use a different domain?

Accounts that use other free domains (such as camp7.org and memberlodge.org) are provided an additional wildapricot.org domain that can be accessed using a secure https URL. You can use the secure Wild Apricot domain in addition to your regular website address, or you can switch your website to the wildapricot.org domain. For instructions on switching, see Domain name management.

Accounts that use custom domains (such as www.nycs.net instead of nycs.wildapricot.org) are also provided with an additional wildapricot.org domain that can be accessed using a secure https URL. Alternatively, we can install your own custom security certificate on your custom domain for a separate charge. For details and pricing, see Securing custom domains (below).

Traffic encryption options

If you want to enforce secure access, you can automatically redirect visitors to your site to a secure URL. You can redirect visitors always, or just when filling out Wild Apricot forms.

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Whatever settings you choose, visitors can always use the secure URL to access your site (by adding an s after the http in the website address).

To control when visitors to your site are redirected to a secure URL, follow these steps:

Click Settings.

Under Security, click Traffic encryption (HTTPS/SSL).

Choose when you want to redirect visitors to the secure URL.

Option

Level of security

Description

Always

High

All http pages will be redirected to the equivalent https page. There are some limitations that you should be aware of (see below). If you are using a custom domainthat does not have its own security certificate, visitors will be redirected to secure pages within the wildapricot.org domain.

Forms only

Medium

Only pages containing Wild Apricot forms (such as membership applications and event registrations but not login forms) will be redirected to the secure URL. Once redirected to a secure URL, the visitor will not be redirected back to an insecure page within the current session. Members will be directed to a secure URL once they log in. You should choose this option if your site links to external resources (e.g. graphics or stylesheets) that are stored on a website that is not secured (uses http instead of https). See below for limitations.

Payments only

Low

Online payments will be processed on secure pages, but while on your site, visitors will never be redirected to your site's secure URL. Visitors can, however, use the secure URL at any time to access the site. Once a member logs in from a secure page, the member will stay on secure pages for the remainder of the current session.

Click Save.

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Regardless of what settings you choose, payments on Wild Apricot sites are always encrypted and handled via a separate secure URL (https://payments.wildapricot.com).

Securing custom domains

To secure a custom domain (such as www.nycs.net instead of nycs.wildapricot.org), you need to purchase a custom security certificate that Wild Apricot can then install.

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If you use a custom domain without purchasing a security certificate, visitors who access your site by manually entering https will typically see a security warning displayed by their browser stating that your custom domain name doesn't match the security certificate (which is issued by Wild Apricot). They can ignore it and use the site but may be scared away by the warning.

The cost of a one-year security certificate – which you purchase independently – begins around $100. To install the security certificate on your custom domain, we charge an initial fee of $50 and a renewal fee of $50.

The steps involved in purchasing and installing a custom security certificate are as follows:

Organization name – The legally registered name of your organization/company (maximum 64 symbols).

Organizational unit name – The name of your department within the organization (frequently this entry will be listed as "IT," "Web Security," or is simply left blank).

Common name – The name/domain through which the certificate will be accessed (usually the fully-qualified custom domain name e.g. www.domain.com. Note some vendors might not generate the SSL certificate for both www.domain.com and domain.com, so be sure to specify the main domain you would like to use).

Email Address

Our support representative will generate and email you a CSR (Certificate Signing Request). You can use the CSR to order an SSL certificate from your vendor.

Visit your vendor's website and use the CSR to order your certificate. Make sure your vendor includes the following statements in the SAN (Subject Alternative Name) section of the certificate so that it applies to your website's URL with and without the www:

After receiving the SSL certificate from your vendor, send it to us.

After we receive the certificate from you, we'll install it on your website and let you know when we're done.

Once the process is complete, we'll invoice you for the installation fee.

Secure site seals

When you purchase a security certificate from a vendor, you are usually entitled to display the branded seal on your site to let visitors know your site is secure. For information on obtaining the HTML code to display the seal on your site, visit your vendor's website. The following links provide information on obtaining the code from some of the more popular vendors:

Limitations

Visitors to your website may encounter problems establishing or maintaining a secure connection if the page includes references to resources stored at a site that begins with http rather than https. These resources could include:

external graphics

external stylesheets

third-party widgets

JavaScript files

YouTube videos

internal resources identified using an absolute reference that begins with http

In these cases, the browser may block content, generate an error message,

or display an icon indicating that the page is not completely secure.

The traffic to and from your site will remain encrypted, but the unsecured resources could be viewed by a third party.